Dairy Task Force urges consistent funding for Maine’s dairy stabilization program, and a package of supports

The Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry received the final report of the Legislature’s Dairy Task Force, which recommends a series of actions to support farm viability, expand processing capacity and increase technical assistance for Maine dairy farms.

The task force’s central recommendation is that the Maine dairy stabilization program (commonly referred to as the TIER program) be funded at the current cost‑of‑production level and funded consistently. Task force members told the committee that the TIER program works most effectively when it is fully funded; partial funding undermines the program’s stabilizing intent. The task force also recommended establishing a baseline funding allocation to reduce year‑to‑year volatility and improve predictability for farmers and the Legislature.

Other recommendations in the task force report include: -…